San Miguel Beer survived a tense finish to pull off an 83-81 victory over Barangay Ginebra in their PBA Philippine Cup showdown Sunday at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The Beermen appeared in full control after building a 14-point cushion, only to see the Kings storm back behind Japeth Aguilar’s late slam that cut the margin to two with 3.7 seconds remaining.

Troy Rosario then stole the inbound pass from Kris Rosales, giving Ginebra one last shot to steal the game. But Scottie Thompson’s hurried heave from beyond the arc rimmed out at the buzzer, allowing San Miguel to breathe a sigh of relief.

Fajardo anchors Beermen’s inside attack

June Mar Fajardo again imposed his dominance inside with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks, powering San Miguel to its second straight win that evened its record at 2-2.

He got ample support from CJ Perez, Juami Tiongson, and JM Calma, who each chipped in 10 points, with Calma turning in his most efficient game since joining the Beermen.

Ginebra suffers worst All-Filipino start in a decade

The loss dropped Barangay Ginebra to 1-3 — its worst start in the Philippine Cup in 10 years and its poorest showing overall since the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.

Aguilar matched Fajardo’s effort with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks, while sophomore RJ Abarrientos also had 17 markers. Thompson flirted with a triple-double, tallying 15 points, nine boards, and seven assists in the losing cause.